Pit of Existence
by crazy-bout-fanfics
Summary: Having ended up in the dense boreal forests of the north, Sephiroth is drawn by a helpless woman bleeding into oblivion. Wordlessly, he carries her to safety. For the first time, his obession and loathing, Jenova, stops bothering him for the time being.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I could, I do not own Final Fantasy 7, but I DO own original ideas in this fic:)

Alright reposted and edited _quite a bit. _The storyline has changed a little now, I don't have a complete plan outlined yet, but I've got a general idea of how this story's gonna flow. My goal is to improve my writing, so thanks for the pain of reading bad engrish!

**Pit of Existence**  
...

_Running, walking, treading,_

_This path, never ever ending,_

_If only I knew, if only I knew._

_My one chance I've blew._

_  
_  
Through the coldest mountains, the densest forests, through countless cities, I've been run. Running my whole life, never stopped, no. Not once. There is no escaping. The minute I stop, it will be the end. Yet even as I try, I will never flee her. She is in the wind, in the sky, in the very air I breath. She lurches in my mind, unrelenting. Her hideous physique, her luring voice plagues me when I am awake and when I close my eyes. My mother, she calls herself. If mothers existed such as she, I'd choose to bite my tongue the day I sprung from her revolting womb and end my life right there. Some also call her Jenova, I have never addressed her in any other way. I have never felt the feeling in my heart that is supposedly accompanied with the word mother. Sometimes I wonder if she really is my mother. But it doesn't matter, not right now.

It's almost been five years. I try not to count the days; it makes my existence seem so unbearably pointless. How long will I have to run? Why am I doing this? When can I rest? These questions are the ones I usually ask myself, and I don't know the answers to any of them. Sometimes I experience short moments of extreme fatigue, but as soon as I feel her catching up, I force the last seep of strength out and start moving again. And it's always been that way; ever since I've started running. I'm always on the verge of dropping, but I've been at it for years. I think there's something that pushes me on and on. Something that drives me to my point and keeps me there constantly tired, constantly moving.

My legs are as heavy as metal, and stiff as hell. Yet it's this pain that keeps me awake and sharp. The pain my body has endured would have killed any mortal long ago, but this mortal pain has kept me from drifting, keeping me afloat in the present. It was this pain that grew so intense once, dropping me to my knees, that forced me to catch something pink in the thick underbrush. I gaped at something I have never let myself behold in such openess. A woman. Surrounded by a pool of fresh crimson. I crept towards her, gently brushing tendrils of hair away from her face. _So beautiful_. I don't know what compelled me to do this, but I picked her up and brought her to the nearest village.

_Emerald green eyes,_

_Still so very innocent,_

_As time continues to fly,_

_Brown-red hair,_

_For you I will dare..._

And that, my dear fellow readers is all for now! Please, if any comments, constructive criticisms, questions, or suggestions, please leave a review. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Upon her ivory face,_

_A lone trailing tear,_

_Falling without a trace,_

_For me, she fears. _

It was odd that he had decided to help her. He had convinced himself that in was "on the way" and that he had sinned enough and should be doing some more charity work, but those reasons seemed inaccurate. After all, he had passed by countless victims of cruelty without a blink of an eye with fear that he would be caught if he stopped. What made this woman-child so important? It was hard to explain. When he had first laid eyes on her, he felt no one could be as helpless as she was at the moment. It was also the first time that all thoughts of Jenova had vanished, and his first priority was to get the girl to safety. Just a single moment, and then his life had changed. He was far from believing that Jenova would leave him be, no, he was too smart for that. But now he felt he could rest a moment. He glanced at her from the corners of his eyes, with no one watching he was still careful. She was asleep and breathing normally, but the doctor said that she'd be unconscious for a few days at the least. He sighed. _What am I doing here? I should be running, before she catches up. _Sephiroth got up, his chair scraping noisily against the floor, and prepared to leave.

"Wait", a soft voice whispered, "Please, wait". He turned sharply, his hair whipping behind him.

"The doctor said-"

"I know, but it's alright, I'm okay" She smiled at him comfortingly. "By the way, my name's Aeris. Thank you for your help." She would have died. If she continued bleeding, she surely would've, but as soon as her life's blood had stopped flowing out of her system, she was able to use her white materia to quicken the healing process.

He chose then to let her know of his plans, "I've got to go now". She owed her life to this man and would be damned before she let him go without knowing his name first.

"Will you tell me your name?" She asked with such innocence that he could not bear to tell her. Sephiroth was sure she would, in recognition, view him with disgust. Yet that was what he deserved. For all his wrongs, he deserved the hate that came with his crimes.

"Sephiroth," He said without an ounce of emotion. Again she surprised him.

"Nice name," She chimed, "very original, I've never heard of it before."

Was that supposed to hurt or should he be grateful? He began to suspect that something was out of place here.

"Are you thirsty?" He managed say out of pure chivalry. _Ha! Chivalry! Who knew that still existed inside this cold heart._

"Naw, I'll survive, thanks" Aeris smiled, "I just want some company, stay with me?" And how could he say no? He looked into her emerald eyes filled with true longing of companionship. He saw years of loneliness in them, and fear. Fear of being alone? Or was it something else? He understood her pain, because he had to endure the same. So how could he say know when in his heart it was what he had always wanted, _a companion. _With a slight nod he moved to sit beside her again.

"What are you going to do after you heal?" Sephiroth asked.

"I'm on a quest" She answered in all seriousness. He wanted to laugh, but held himself in check. It was difficult imagining a woman-child going on _quests_. It was laughable. She would be fighting dragons and wearing an armor of steel; she would have to wield an iron sword that would topple her over if she dared to raise it. His lips quirked upwards at that thought.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing" Sephiroth smoothed his features. "Tell me more of this quest you talk about"

"I have to rescue someone from the confinements of the extermination camp in Nibelheim. My friend, he was captured fighting off Shinra Soldiers who were trying to turn our forest land into sky scrappers and roads." Her face displayed disgust, and hatred for the destruction of wildlife. He was startled by her intense loathing, but found that even then she exulted beauty, the feral, wild beauty of an unbound human.

They continued to talk of simple things such as the way a hare would change its fur to adapt to the season, and the complex workings of a deoxyribonucleic acid inside a cell. Both were surprised to find that they was just as educated as the other. In conversation though, neither asked questions of personal background or even broached near the subject. Despite the mystery that shrouded Sephiroth, Aeris felt that he could be trusted. After all, why would he save her and then harm her? She allowed herself to open up for the first time in decades. Sephiroth too, experienced an ease with this girl that he had never felt with anyone before. It was exhilarating.

When the sun was about to set and orange and red hues lighted her hair, Sephiroth studied her intently for the first time since his discovery of her. There was no doubt of her beauty. Large jade eyes framed with luscious lashes, a mass of shining chestnut hair, and soft pink lips. She would excite any man. Lying in a pool of blood, she resembled to him a fallen angel. It wasn't just her beauty that caused him to bow his head to a woman for the fist time. When he first laid eyes on her he felt purified; replenished. Jenova had vanished form his thoughts like smoke. He knew she wasn't dead, just gone from his mind. No longer did she permeate the air and press on his tail; he had the feeling that she couldn't sense him anymore as he could not sense her. Never had this happened before, he didn't know what to make of it. It was mind-boggling, his new found freedom confused and ruffled him. What was he to do now, when the point of his existence has so changed?

The next day she had given him his answer in a question.

"Will you stay with me?" She asked as they stood outside he entrance of the hut. He agreed with a small nod.

As they bid the doctor farewell, he grasped both their hands telling them tearfully how Aeris' quick recovery was a such a miracle for him. He thanked them both for allowing him to witness it. Aeris just smiled sweetly through the ordeal, but Sephiroth knew miracles didn't exist.

...Oo .. o0O )( O0o .. oO...

The air was fresh and crisp and the sun shone sharp cool morning rays. The wilderness pulsed. The never-ending cycle of life was just like their continuous walking with no Nibelheim anywhere. They were lost. Aeris knew this but was too stubborn to admit it, she was sure Sephiroth sensed their aimlessness too. She sneaked a glance at him, but could not tell if he was frustrated, bored or just plain oblivious. The trail got thicker with foliage as they headed deeper into the forest, and soon it disappeared. For a couple miles they continued walking silently. Aeris now walked with a slight limp, and Sephiroth noticed this. As he opened his mouth to offer a lift -

"I'm sorry", Aeris looked to Sephiroth for guidance. "I think we're lost"

"Nibelheim is a well known city, most would take the roads, that's why the trails are so hard to follow." He stated bluntly.

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" She felt the stirrings of ire in her begin to grow.

He gazed at her sharply and the air seemed to crackle with their frustration.

"Oh, so now you're blaming me." He sneered at her.

This man was really starting to irk her. When did he turn into such a _pompous, arrogant, overbearing dolt_? She immensely regretted asking him to come along with her.

"If you don't like it then you can leave!" Aeris had never lost her temper like this before. "You don't have to pretend that you like me"

Sephiroth gave her a hard stare. Without a word he turned around and headed back towards the trail. Glaring at his retreating back, Aeris wished she could magically make holes appear. As his figure slowly disappeared into the distance, she suddenly felt very tired, the anger draining all her energy and frustration. All that was left was a familiar hollow feeling. It was loneliness. With sadness and regret, she sat down leaning against a tree and laid her head on her knees. Thinking back to what she had said, tears leaked out of her eyes. Tears that she had cried on comfortless nights that made the sky grow grey with clouds and the wind to howl with inexplicable sadness. It started raining then. She sat their until her clothes were soaked, until the guilt, regret, and sadness drenched the very earth in which she sat. The moon glowed eerily amongst misty clouds that night as wolves howled in the distance.

_He slashed, he stabbed, _

_He knew he was sure, _

_He shoved and he grabbed, _

_All for her._

Author's note:

Sorry folks, that's all for now, I know it's not very long, but it was all I could muster in a day, heh heh, I'll update more frequently during summer time! Really! I will! I'm not making any promises though... Also, does anyone know how I can do italics and bolds? I'm not sure if it showed up, but I did change some words to italics. Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and please don't be shy about reviewing!

If you want, leave some comments!


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